Mark D. Karau's Books

Wielding the Dagger

The MarineKorps Flandern and the German War Effort, 1914-1918

By: Mark D. Karau

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Wielding the Dagger

The MarineKorps Flandern and the German War Effort, 1914-1918

By: Mark D. Karau

In August 1914, Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz convinced the German armed forces to create a new unit, called the MarineDivision Flandern, to garrison the Belgian coastline and prepare naval bases in for the implementation of a naval guerrilla war against Great Britain. The Germans called their strategy Kleinkrieg, or little war, and they intended to whittle away at British naval superiority by using their submarines and destroyers. Later expanded into the MarineKorps, the unit soon found itself in the middle of a land war as well. What had been intended as a garrison unit found itself on the frontlines when the war stalemated. The British had traditionally seen Belgium as a dagger pointed at the throat of England, and the Royal Navy feared what use the Germans might make of the position. The result was an active naval campaign in the English Channel. Karau brings to light the contributions of the MarineKorps Flandern, a force often neglected by historians. He examines the role of the MarineKorps in both land and naval wars and reaffirms the increasingly important role played by aircraft in the Flanders theater. If Belgium was a weapon pointed at the British throat, were the Germans properly equipped to wield the dagger?

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Page Count

280

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published Date

ISBN 10

0313052522

ISBN 13

9780313052521

Germany's Defeat in the First World War

The Lost Battles and Reckless Gambles That Brought Down the Second Reich

By: Mark D. Karau

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Germany's Defeat in the First World War

The Lost Battles and Reckless Gambles That Brought Down the Second Reich

By: Mark D. Karau

A noted World War I scholar examines the critical decisions and events that led to Germany's defeat, arguing that the German loss was caused by collapse at home as well as on the front. Much has been written about the causes for the outbreak of World War I and the ways in which the war was fought, but few historians have tackled the reasons why the Germans, who appeared on the surface to be winning for most of the war, ultimately lost. This book, in contrast, presents an in-depth examination of the complex interplay of factors—social, cultural, military, economic, and diplomatic—that led to Germany's defeat. The highly readable work begins with an examination of the strengths and weaknesses of the two coalitions and points out how the balance of forces was clearly on the side of the Entente in a long and drawn-out war. The work then probes the German plan to win the war quickly and the resulting campaigns of August and September 1914 that culminated in the devastating defeat in the First Battle of the Marne. Subsequent chapters discuss the critical factors and decisions that led to Germany's loss, including the British naval blockade, the role of economic factors in maintaining a consensus for war, and the social impact of material deprivation.

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Page Count

276

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published Date

ISBN 13

9798216089797

The Naval Flank of the Western Front

The Development & Operations of the German Marine Korps Flandern 1914-1918

By: Mark Karau

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The Naval Flank of the Western Front

The Development & Operations of the German Marine Korps Flandern 1914-1918

By: Mark Karau

Belgium was once described as the 'dagger held at the throat of England', a collection of provinces that had long been a critical factor in British foreign policy, and the traditional concern was that Belgium, and especially the Flanders coast, would fall into the hands of the strongest continental power. In 1914, Germany's occupation of Belgium brought about the spectre of enemy ships only seventy miles from the British coast, and the coast of Flanders became, effectively, the naval flank of the Western Front.?Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz was one of the few within the German navy who recognised the strategic potential of the three ports of Ostend, Zeebrugge and Brugges; that they were closer to England than the Helgoland Bight for access by small craft, and brought Germany to within a few hours sailing of the Thames estuary. This new book tells the story of the creation, purpose, operations and career of the MarineKorps Flandern. The Flanders harbours should have allowed the German navy to strike dangerous blows at vital British traffic in the Channel and southern North Sea but the MarineKorps was unable to fulfill the great expectations of von Tirpitz. The author not only explains how the German conducted operations, but also explains how the opportunites presented by the Flemish occupation were wasted away. A significant and insightful book on an important theatre of the War

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Age

Page Count

306

Publisher

Seaforth Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1848322313

ISBN 13

9781848322318

Book's by Mark D. Karau

Wielding the Dagger

Wielding the Dagger

Germany's Defeat in the First World War

Germany's Defeat in the First World War

The Naval Flank of the Western Front

The Naval Flank of the Western Front

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